Encounters
by Lulubird
Summary: Liv and Matty done my way. Oneshot. Liv POV. Enjoy.


**A quick one shot about a 'ship I feel has been a little bit ignored. So here's to Liv/Matty! Enjoy and if you feel so inclined a review would be wonderful. **

**MONDAY**

The first time I saw him was when I followed Franky after college. It was the day that those photos had been spread around college by Mini and Nick. I had gone after her to apologise and explain but instead I had found her shooting a gun! The fact that she was screaming "Fuck you, you bitches" and holding a gun made me rethink approaching her. But then someone else had. He had just appeared mysteriously and stood there watching her. I had moved behind a crumbling wall and watched him. I had watched the way he walked, the way he held her gaze so strongly, that simple, casual shrug that had made my stomach knot. There was something so familiar about this stranger. As he turned to face me, walking away from Franky my heart jumped. His eyes were so serious and calm and they held an intensity that made me feel so small and vulnerable. Everything about him screamed mystery and danger. My mind flicked back to those silly books my mother had scattered around our apartment, the ones on Dark Angels. I had dismissed them as nonsense thought up by crazy, bored people but looking upon this boy I understood how people could believe they had seen an angel. To me, he looked like darkness itself.

He disappeared just as quickly as he had appeared. I stayed hidden behind the wall long after both he and Franky had left. Away from his presence it was easier to criticise myself for being so ridiculous. _An angel?_ That's the sort of crap I would come up with after a night of pills and booze but unfortunately I could not claim either of those at the moment. It was simple I told myself firmly. He was just some bored teen who hung out on the wastelands creeping people out. I met stranger guys every night we went out. But as I walked away a shiver went up my spine and I hugged my jacket closer to me. Heading back to the girls I decided not to tell them about this mysterious encounter. Despite my sensible little mantra I could not shake the memory of those eyes from my mind.

**THURSDAY**

We were sitting in a cafe when I spotted him next. Mini had convinced Grace and I to go for a coffee before going out. None of us drank coffee but Mini was twirling a spoon in her undrunk cappuccino and throwing flirtatious looks at the waiter. Grace was reading a beauty magazine intently and I was busy making a pile of sugar on the table. I had emptied my fifth packet when I heard the door chime. Glancing up automatically I froze when I saw his dark figure walk through the door. His eyes flicked around the room like he was looking for someone. When his gaze flashed straight passed me I felt my shoulders slump involuntarily. I cursed myself for it. I didn't even know this stranger and here I was feeling disappointed that he didn't look at me. What was wrong with me? He walked over to an empty table and took a seat. He kept glancing around him still like he thought he had missed the person he was looking for. Absentmindedly he reached for the container of sugar on the table and began to empty the packets into a dirty saucer. I couldn't help but feel a little tingle at the action.

A hand on my arm startled me from my observations.

"Liv! Come on wake up. What do you think?" Mini was asking me in an irritated voice.

I blinked at her. "Think about what?"

"Honestly!" she cried dramatically. "About going to that new place tonight? The one near Grace's house? It's meant to be amazing. Amanda and Shelby went there last night and they said it was full of fit guys!"

"Yeah, sure whatever," I mumbled watching his movements out of the corner of my eye.

"What are you looking at?" asked Mini, following my gaze. Her eyes widened when she spotted him. Suddenly I saw him through Mini's eyes; a dark figure in a black coat sitting alone at a table, hunched over his drink and firmly ignoring everything around him.

"Ah...no," she told me firmly, clicking her finger in front of my face to get my attention. "Don't even go there in your thoughts Liv. He's all...scungy and dark and ew."

I sighed and nodded in Mini's direction. I had learnt long ago to just nod and smile when Mini gave advice about boys, fashion and partying.

"Hey what do you think of this eye shadow?" asked Grace, waving the magazine at Mini. She was quickly distracted and forgot all about lecturing me so I went back to studying the boy.

Suddenly he lifted his head and looked in our direction. It was as if he knew someone had been watching him. Before I was quick enough to look away his eyes had roamed over Grace and Mini and connected with mine. We stared at each other for a few seconds, the longest few seconds of my life. In his gaze I felt like a deer caught in the headlights, completely exposed and defenceless. Usually I was adept at hiding my emotions but when he looked at me I felt as if he could read everything going through my mind. The smallest of smiles caught on his lips and he broke the moment by winking at me. It was incredibly subtle but it was definitely a wink. Feeling my cheeks flush I glanced down at the pile of sugar grains in front of me. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself. _This so wasn't me. Get a grip you loser. _When I felt like I was back to normal, at least in appearances, I dared another look at him. My stomach dropped when I saw his empty chair. The bell on the cafe door chimed and I looked just in time to see the back of his coat disappearing outside. Disappointment washed over me but I told myself to not be stupid. Still, for the rest of the time we stayed in the cafe, every time the bell chimed on the door, I looked up hoping he had returned.

**SUNDAY**

The bus fumes made me feel slightly dizzy as I sat on the bench outside the station. I took another drag on my cigarette, trying to suppress the angry feelings burning in my heart. I had had a fight with Mini and stormed out of my own house, leaving the gang sprawled around everywhere suffocating in their own smoke. After running out of the prison where I had talked to Bella I had come here. I liked bus stations. There was always the possibility of just getting on the next bus that pulled up and going somewhere, anywhere. Bus stations, all stations for that matter, were just a hive of possibilities. Little escape routes that opened their doors to you invitingly.

I was so focused on the thoughts in my head that I almost didn't notice the figure that took a seat next to me. I glanced at him dismissively, assuming it was some drunk but almost swallowed my cigarette when I realised it was the boy from the cafe. I stared at him, my eyes moving from his short cut hair to his ratty shoes. When he turned his head in my direction I looked away, trying to be casual. I watched him out of the corner of my eye and when he looked down again I found myself drawn back to him. He was playing with his hands nervously and had a duffel bag over his shoulder like he was planning on going somewhere_. Idiot_. Of course he was going somewhere. This was a bus station wasn't it? He looked up at me before I was too quick to look away. Our eyes connected and he smiled again, the same half smile from the cafe. I was frozen with the cigarette halfway to my mouth, staring back at him, unable to smile or speak or look away. He held out his hand.

"Hi. Matty," he said in a smooth voice.

"Huh?" I choked out, like an idiot.

"Matty. I'm Matty." He removed his hand, still unshaken.

"Right. I'm...uh...Liv." Fantastic. It looked like I couldn't even remember my own name. He didn't seem to notice though. He simply smiled properly this time and turned his body to face me.

"It's nice to meet you Liv."


End file.
